Welcome to the Black Parade
by LetGo666
Summary: This story is inspired by the song (title). All of you Romantica fans know how impossible it is to make Misaki a emo without changing him completely, but I found a way! Misaki cuts himself and can't stand to be touched by others. But what happens when Misaki meets a classmate in the darkness to protect him from a past enemy? Includes, Terrorist and Egoist. Includes sex and rape.
1. Prologue

Sitting in the safety of the shade from the swaying trees, I recall the past events of my life. Though what sticks out the most in my mind is the accident of my parents from when I was eight years old. My entire life was affected because of it...

* * *

_Rain poured down the street, drowning every bug that landed in it and pushing every piece of litter into the gutters where it would later flow into the ocean. Thunder cracked overhead of our roof as stray lightning sparked in the distant. A few moments later, the action repeated._

_Inside of my room, I laid on my bed. My body temperature was higher than normal, and even though I tried to kick to off the blankets, my brother would cover me over again. Niii-san was always looking out for me as he was, now, feeding me the soup._

_Ringing vibrated around the house._

_"Ah, that must me Mommy and Daddy," Nii-san told me as he set the bowl aside. "I'll go answer it. Would you like to talk to them also?"_

_"Please, Nii-san," I said. In all honesty, I did feel a bit weak, but my brother did nn't need to worry so much. It was simply a cold; it isn't going to kill anybody._

_A bit later, Nii-san re-entered the room, handing me the telephone. "Misaki! OH how is my baby doing," I hear my mother call out to me. I don't know why she treats me like an infant, because I can do lots of things by myself. I don't always need someone watching me._

_"I'm fine, Mommy," I say, coughing a little afterwards._

_"You don't sound that well. Don't worry, honey, Daddy and I will be home shortly. Until then, hugs and kisses. Feel better, sweetheart!" She hangs up. My mother is a lot like Nii-san: always concerned and protective. Maybe that's where he gets it from._

_"Okay Mommy! Be safe, and please hurry home!" I can't wait to see her. Usually, my parents are working late, so I don't see them before I go to sleep. Sometimes, I don't even get to see them in the morning. Lately, it has been just my brother and me. I tend to miss them a lot._

_"Do you feel any better, Misaki," Nii-san asked me once he put the phone back._

_"Maybe just a little better," I said before I wheezed again. These recent coughing fits are making my throat raw._

_"Okay. Well, why don't you rest so you can get even better?"_

_"Okay, Nii-san." I closed my eyes, listening to my brother as he left the room, careful to be quiet. I love Nii-san. I love Mommy and Daddy. I hope that they're always with me._

* * *

_"I feel guilty," the mother said as she hung up the cell phone._

_"Why is that," the father asked, careful not to lose attention of the road._

_"We never see the kids. It's as if we're pushing them out of our life. Plus, we're always pushing our responsibilities onto them," the mother sighed._

_"I agree, but they have to learn how to clean and cook some time," the father responded as he applied his foot on the brake._

_"Still, we should give them a break now and then. They're living a life without us. I would have hated to grown up without the support or love of my parents."_

_"There, there." Keeping his eyes glued to the street, the man placed his hand on his wife's shoulder as reassurance. "We're off the is weekend, so starting then, we can enjoy lots of more time with the kids." He placed his hand back onto the steering wheel, speeding up as the traffic cleared._

_"I hope you're right," she said, looking out of the window. The rain started to pour down in a quicker pace. Noticing that they were already going sixty miles per hour and that they were only gaining speed, she suggested, "Dear, I think you should slow down a bit."_

_"I've been trying, but the car won't-" He was cut short as another vehicle shot out of an unseen road and rammed into them. Their car spurred around in circles before sliding down the street, hitting a few more cars. Shards of glass were digging into their skin and poking their insides. The father opened his door, when a truck slammed into them. The two were crushed inside of the vehicle._

* * *

_Takahiro answered the phone as it rang for the second time that evening. Expecting a worrywart of a mother, he was shocked when he heard a police officer._

* * *

_My dream was cut short as Nii-san crept into my room and gently woke me up. "Misaki, Mommy and Daddy are hurt. We need to go to the hospital, okay? Please, wake up."_

_"Okay, Nii-san." I yawned. He left and started slipping on his rain gear. "What's wrong," I asked as I slid on my boats and coats._

_"They were in a car accident. Now, we must go."_

* * *

I never thought that would be the last day I saw my parents. I guess I took them for granted. If I could take those words back, I would. I would take them back a million times, but I can't. What was said was said, and what has happened has happened. You can't ever change anything.

I guess I should head inside. School's tomorrow, and everyone knows just how much fun that is.


	2. Chapter 1

The sunshine peeked into the dark room, waking the boy sleeping there. _Time to get up already? _Summer vacation had flown by so quickly, but time had stopped affecting the boy. Most of the time he was numb. He wasn't ever surprised or happy, even when someone did something extraordinary for him. He had shut his emotions off and kept to himself.

Slipping out of the bed, he picked out his favorite clothing: a plain black T-shirt accompanied by black jeans. He liked being adorned in black. It helped him to feel at one with himself. Black for death, and he, a killer. Studs decorated his belt while chains outlined his wrists. A leather chocker with a single skull rested upon his neck. He was ready to face the day, no matter how dreadful or bright it maybe.

The faint smell of eggs made its way into his room. Takahiro had already started cooking breakfast, and for once, it didn't smell burnt. Grabbing the back he prepared the previous evening, Misaki exited his bedroom and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

He set his bag by the front door and then sat at the kitchen counter where his brother noticed his presence. "Ohayou, (1) Misaki! Did you sleep well?"

He wasn't one for talking, but his brother never wanted him to feel left out, and so each morning and evening they had to have at least one conversation. "I slept fine, but I'm still a little tired. How about you, Nii-san?"

"I slept well, domo arigato. (2)" Takahiro placed the omelets onto the plates. Sitting at the table, they both mumbled, "Itadakimasu." (3)

"You do know why you are going to this new school, don't you, Misaki," Takahiro asked seriously.

"Yes," Misaki mumbled. His brother had informed him why over and over again. His brother's problem was that he was way too overprotective. He would have been perfectly fine spending the rest of his high school years in his previous school. It wasn't that he flunked out. In fact, he had a straight B-average with an occasional C. His brother knew that was the best he could do, so Nii-san didn't mind.

"I just don't want them to continue to bully you, Misaki. You should have told me when it all started! I just think that...everyone misinterpreted the situation. I think you should start anew." Takahiro solemnly watched his brother. The boy never interacted with anyone. Because of that, almost everyone distanced themselves from him. Not that his choice of clothing helped either. Takahiro didn't mind Misaki's macabre style; he just wished the boy wouldn't act like the walking dead, too. If only the boy could act a bit more uplifting, it would make his future so much more wonderful.

"I know." _I don't know why my brother feels the need to repeat himself so much. Maybe he has an infatuation of listening to his own voice. _He knew his brother meant no harm, but these conversation topics were really starting to irritate him.

"Misaki, please, don't make any bad choice. I appreciate you protecting the weaker man, but... please don't allow yourself to be the weaker man." Takahiro had watched his little brother grow up in a dark hole. Anyone who had a past similar to his would have also been raised depressed. It made sense to him, but t hat didn't mean he had to like it. He just wanted Misaki to be happy.

"I know," he sighed. "But you should know better than anyone that no one wants to be friends with me." Who would want to be friends with a person that didn't like to talk or be touched? He was considered a 'freak.' Who would want to be friends with a 'freak?'

Takahiro sighed. Misaki needed some hope. He wished that Misaki would blossom into a better person at this new high school.

* * *

The walk to school was calm and peaceful. The faint breeze in the autumn air brought the fall leaves to the ground around him. Even the occasional star cast towards him didn't dampen the slight self-confidence he had about today.

A new school year in a new school. He really should have thanked Takahiro for the opportunity. _To show my gratitude, maybe I should do something that would make Nii-san happy. _Takahiro was always trying to get him to change his lifestyle, but Misaki just didn't care enough to do something about it. Still, he hated that he was making Nii-san so unhappy. Glancing down at his arms, he noticed he hadn't grabbed anything to cover them. Anyone could clearly see the scars outlining his arm. Somewhere deep inside, he hope Nii-san hadn't seen them. _I'll...try to stop cutting, ...but I can't garuntee anything! I'll try...If Nii-san knew, he would want me to stop._

* * *

Trying to find each room he was supposed to go to, Misaki was late for all for all of his classes. Luckily, none of the teachers were so strict that scolded him on his first day. His literature teach even humored him.

It had been an exhausting day. Not one time did people give him a break; he had everyone's attention the entire time. No one talked to him, though. The best part of the day was being able to sit at a table where no one dejected him. At his other school, they always shooed him away, and he ended up sitting alone. So he was happy to find a table where people accepted him, probably because most of the people that filled the table were very much like him. They asked Misaki what his name was and vice versa, but that was the only thing spoken.

Now that he was home he was required to start his homework and to start cooking a dinner for Takahiro and himself.

* * *

When Takahiro walked through the door, Misaki had just finished his homework. Most of it was reading the textbook so that they could start the course the following day. "What's for dinner tonight, Misaki," Takahiro asked.

"Salmon sashimi cooked with ginger and in sesame oil," Misaki answered as he worked on the mixture.

"Did you have a good day at school," Takahiro asked curiously. He had prayed that Misaki would make at least one friend on the first day, but then again, it's never too late to befriend someone. Besides, he knew Misaki would never purposely try to get into trouble. Trouble just had a way of tricking him.

"I guess." Misaki was too preoccupied with the dish to pay too much attention to Takahiro, but he knew that wouldn't phase Nii-san.

"What do you mean? Tell me what happened." Takahiro didn't miss the workload of school, but he did miss the social side. He had amazing teachers and compassionate classmates. It would be a shame if the education experience had changed.

Misaki sighed. His brother would never give up. He guessed that was something to admire about his brother. "How about I tell you during dinner? I'm a little busy right now."

"Oh, sorry, Misaki." How could he be so blind? That hadn't even passed his mind. He needed to learn how to pay more attention to his younger brother. He nodded off most things, figuring that they were the latest trends. He should know by now that Misaki wasn't even into those kinds of things and anything he did was a result of something personal.

"It's fine. Dinner should be ready in ten more minutes," Misaki mumbled as he continued his preparations.

* * *

Misaki set everything out on the table, and they were now ready to eat. "Itadakimasu." (3)

After taking a bite of some rice, Misaki recalled his day. ""It was kind of hard finding my way through the building, but all of the teachers are really nice."

"Did you meet anyone, Misaki," Takahiro asked. Anticipation brought him to the edge of the seat.

"Well...I found a lunch table to sit at," Misaki said hesitantly. He knew his brother was only trying to help, but he didn't fancy interacting with other people.

"Oh? Are they nice?" This was something to celebrate over. Usually his brother was a loner, but now he was starting to blend in! This was perfect!

"Well...yeah, I guess...They're like me, though; they don't like to talk, so we get along well," Misaki mumbled, knowing his brother wouldn't like the information.

"Oh. Well, at least you found some people," Takahiro said optimistically. He pause a moment. Ever since the accident, Misaki had hated to be touched, even if it was a loving or comforting touch. Therefore, he always tried to be careful when touching the other. Slowly, he stood up, bent over the table, and ruffle Misaki's hair.

The boy's eyes widened in horror. Slightly scooting away from the table, the hand still found a way to rest on top of his head. One would think that his brother was hurting him. It made Misaki extremely uncomfortable, and so once he felt the digits, he immediately shoved them away.

"I'm proud of you, Misaki. I'm glad you have finally managed to set yourself within the normality of people," Takahiro said as a way to explain why he did what he did. Withdrawing his palm, he planted himself back into the chair.

Flustered, Misaki shot a glare in Takahiro's direction. His brother knew he despised touching, so Misaki could never understand why his brother continued to do so. "It's nothing to be celebrating," he murmured as he started to clear the table, loading the plates into the dishwasher.

"No, it is. It really is wonderful, Misaki." Takahiro came from behind him and embraced him within a warm hug.

Startled, Misaki jumped a couple inches off of the ground. At once, he pushed his brother away. How dare he! Twice in one evening! He has had enough. "I'm going to bed," he proclaimed, storming off to his room. If Nii-san kept this up he might never adapt to human customs.

"Right. Sorry...again. When am I going to learn? ... Hopefully sometime soon." Takahiro finished putting away all the dishes. Tired, he then went to his bedroom to fall asleep.

* * *

1 Ohayou-Good Morning.

2 Domo Arigato-Thank you.

3 Itadakimasu-This is the word they same before meals, I think. If I'm worng, please correct me.

One) When I refer to the 'accident' it's not what was mentioned in the prologue. It's not the car accident. It's something else that will be mentioned and become apparent throughout the rest of the story.

Two) I wonder if any of you can guess how the other five (Akihiko, Hiroki, Nowaki, Miyagi, and Shinobu) are connected to Misaki and/or how they all meet Misaki. No, his literature teacher is not Hiroki. I thought about it, and no.

Three) I promise it will get more interesting, because starting next chapter... shh.. *hint, hint* (looks around to make sure coast is clear.) One of the other people (listed above) enters...shh!

Thank you for all the people tha enjoy this. I love you all.


	3. Chapter 2

Takahiro knocked on Misaki's bedroom door as a warning that it was time to be getting up. Due to the change in his sleeping patterns, he had slept in past his alarm. Why did summer vacation have to be over with? Now he could no longer stay awake until after noon.

Groaning, Misaki climbed out of his bed and dressed for the day. This time he made sure to grab a jacket that could cover his arms.

* * *

"Ohayou! (1) Did you sleep decently again," Takahiro asked in his usual cheerful mood.

"No. I had the nightmare again, thanks to a certain someone reminding me of what happened oh so long ago," Misaki replied grumpily. He didn't mean to snap, but this was just his usual attitude when he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

"Oh," Takahiro mumbled. The tension in the room became increasing serious.

* * *

_Several years ago, after Misaki's parents had died, he had began to become noticed it and desperately tried to cheer up his younger brother. He would take Misaki all sorts of places that the boy loved, though the boy's smile started to shrink until eventually it disappeared._

_Everyday for an entire week, there was the same old man that spied on Misaki as the younger mal from his school. The following week, the man knocked on Misaki's door. Unknowingly, the boy answered with a weak, "Who is it?"_

_The man lied through his teeth by saying that he was a friend of Takahiro's, and Misaki willingly let the man inside of their home, not entirely caring about who he was. The poor answer was suitable. When the student was back in his bedroom, the man jumped him._

_A few hours later, Takahiro came home to a deadly silence. Immediately, the man began to panic. "Misaki! Misaki!" Beaten, gagged, and tied to the bed-frame, he found his younger brother unconscious. "MISAKI!"_

_Misaki awoke hours later in a hospital, scarred for life. He would even fear the lightest of touches, scarred that someone might try to duplicate the rape scene. It would continue to haunt his dreams for months. Regardless, no one ever caught the criminal._

* * *

"I'm sorry, Misaki," Takahiro apologized as he placed breakfast on the table. He sure would have to try harder if he was going to be attentive to his brother's need.

"If you were sorry, you wouldn't have hugged me after you tried to ruffle my hair," Misaki grumbled, digging into the meal.

"Right." The older man sighed. It would be very difficult raising Misaki to be a people person. What Takahiro feared most was that because Misaki always pushed others away, the boy might never meet someone he can truly connect with, resulting in a loneliness that would forever envelop Misaki.

* * *

Literature class had been more interesting than all of his other teacher's classes. Indeed, the man was serious about what he taught, but he also seemed to give it a light air, trying to make it an interesting topic, which is what differentiated it from his other courses options.

Just after packing his books, he heard faint sniffling from behind him. Quickly turning his head, he caught a glimpse of the dirty blonde that sat a few rows behind him. Misaki racked his brain for the boy's name. Then he remembered, it was the boy who had a similar last name as him: Takatsuki Shinobu. The boy seemed intelligent, but he also seemed to have a bad attitude. Misaki considered walking away, pretending not to have noticed the incident, but then again, he wasn't the kind of person to leave alone someone in need.

After taking a few deep breathes, Misaki took some slow steps towards the other boy. "H-hi," he murmured, his voice shaky.

Shinobu gasped, startled. He had thought everybody would have left ahead of him. He didn't expect to be caught in the middle of a crying episode. He had tried to keep it quiet. Since the class had started out on a bad note, he couldn't contain his tears for too much longer. "Wh-what do you want," Shinobu snapped, embarrassed.

Misaki yelped out of shock. Mentally, he noted not to communicate with the boy when he was upset. "Ah! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought... You seemed really sad, and I just thought that you might want to talk about it. I might be able to help you-"

"I don't want your help! I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help! Just leave me alone!" Involuntarily, more tears streamed down Shinobu's face. Hw was too mound up to be interacting with anyone. He just wanted to be left alone for a little while longer.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I apologize! Th-though, if you do change your mind.. I have lunch next period, if yours is next also. Plus, we could talk after school. Your choice! Whenever you want to, I'm around. All right. Well, see you around," Misaki rambled, waving goodbye as he hurriedly exited the classroom. He knew he had been right. That really had not been worth his time. He needed to stop trying to appease everyone, because nothing good for him ever come out of it.

* * *

A sigh crawled out from Shinobu's lips. Not only had he been rejected but he had also had someone sticking his nose where it didn't belong. He didn't care if the boy was trying to be nice, it wasn't his business that Shinobu was crying.

Or maybe it was. Maybe he had been crying louder that he had realized and the boy was selfish and just wanted him to shut up. But if that was the case, wouldn't he have just told Shinobu to be quiet? He wouldn't have told him that he was available whenever Shinobu wanted to confide in him...

Now his head was staring to hurt. He would need to talk to the brunette if he would want to find out the boy's true motives. He meanwhile talk to him while he was at it. Luckily, they shared the same lunch periods.

* * *

At first, when he walked into the cafeteria, he couldn't spot the gothic lad. That was, until he spied 'The Table of Darkness', as most people there called it. _Crap! _He would have to walk up to that? Like hell he would! Death and the sorts probably intrigued those students. The probably wanted to be dead. If even would talk to them, they would probably wish him dead. Why would he want to confront that possibility? Then again, the thing he was living for had already denied him. He didn't really have any other reason to go on. What did he have to lose?

"Hello," Shinobu waved hesitantly while trying to fake a smile as best as he could. Why was he doing this again? All of the students sitting there turned to glare at whatever was causing the noise. He really did feel as if he was going to die.

"Oh! H-hi," Misaki said, gently patting the space next to him. _I guess it wasn't as hard as I thought, trying to be a friend._

The boy just stood there, scarred out of his mind. All of them, with the exception of Misaki were staring at him with pure hatred. He guessed they weren't kind when it came to sharing their stuff.

"It's okay. We don't bite," Misaki joked with alight laugh. It was true he didn't know the others too well, but he did know one thing when it came to people. He knew that all they really wanted was at least one person they could trust, someone to comfort them when they were hurt. That was all they wanted, needed even. But with his trust issues, he was certain that those wishes were far from being achieved.

He released a shaky sigh that was meant to calm him, yet instead worked in an opposite affect. Slowly, Shinobu joined the table. He was sure that he stuck out like a sore thumb.

During the entire time he sat there in silence, the glares at him gradually faded. Maybe they thought he had the same problems as them, even though he was dressed differently. That bothered him, but what annoyed him even more was the fact that the kid wasn't saying anything. Did he expect Shinobu to start the conversation? What could he start with? Did he even want to talk about what happened? No, he didn't. But then, why did he come here? He sighed. "Umm... So about what happened," he started as a way to break the piercing quiet of the table, earning him, glances from everyone around him.

"Do you want to talk about it," Misaki asked unsurely. He knew the boy came to talk to him, but he didn't expect a conversation due to the outburst the blonde gave him in the classroom.

"Yes! Isn't that why I came to you," Shinobu snapped at the boy. Was the brunette stupid? He was the one that offered himself!

"I know! Just... I didn't expect you to accept," Misaki trailed off, his voice getting softer and softer.

"Well, I did! Is that a problem for you?" He was really starting to aggravate Shinobu to the point where he was ready to ditch the rest of the school day. That or spending the rest of the day hiding in the office of his father, the principal.

"No! It's just that earlier you didn't seem to eager to associate with anybody." This student sure was intimidating. Was he always this easily-tempered? He seemed to be made out of steel the way he could push away people. Maybe that's why he came. It finally got to him, causing him to cry. That would make sense. He just want a friend, but he can't get one because he pushes away everyone!

"Hey!" The two turned to look at one of the other goth kids at the table who went by the name of Lightning Streak. Most of the kids at The Table of Darkness seems to go by some kind of code name. Misaki didn't understand it much and though it was stupid. Unfortunately, they made him go by some kind of weird code name, too, but because he couldn't think of one, they decided on one for him. "If you're gonna harass our friend, Killer, you can just go find some other table to annoy! We don't appreciate that kind of behavior, so you can either cut out the shitty attitude and tell him what's wrong, or you can walk to some other loner table with a matching black eye," he shouted, utterly annoyed.

"Killer?" Shinobu stared at the boy next to him, completely horrified. He knew these people were into death! What did he do to deserve that nick name? God, he hoped Killer didn't murder him!

"S-sorry. They, uh, gave me the nick name. I don't mean to frighten you," Misaki murmured as a bright pink decorated his face. Part of him was thankful, though. If Lightning Streak hadn't said anything, he might have kept getting yelled at until the end of the lunch period.

Oh, okay." Shinobu sighed, relieved. But on the other hand, the boy never did say he wasn't a killer. The thought brought back a bit of his anxiety, but he shoved it back down. If he didn't he might actually have to walk home with a black eye, and he most certainly did not need that.

To get rid of all the looks he was receiving, Shinobu decided it was time to talk. "Anyway the reason behind why I was crying is...it's a long story." Sighing Shinobu rubbed the back of his neck. Depression was already starting to get to him and he still and yet to call upon his memories.

"Well, I'm willing to listen, if you're willing to talk," Misaki replied. The edge of his mouth twitched as if it were trying to pull back into a crooked grin.

"Okay. Well, it started two year ago when my sister was going to get married. My father wanted me to meet my brother-in-law, but on the way some robbers grabbed me on my way there. A man saved me, and surprisingly, we were both headed towards the same place. When we arrived, I realized my brother-in-law had come to my rescue."

"Before that, whenever I went to the library, he always looked like he was happy reading whatever what was in his hand. He was always in there when I walked in."

"Shortly after the wedding, I noticed I actually liked him. Since I couldn't stand to be near him anymore, I asked my father if it was all right if I studied abroad. So I've spent most of my middle school years across the sea. Though, I came back this year, because I heard that he had divorced my sister. I thought, _"Now's my chance. I knew we were meant to be!"_

"... I wanted to talk to him about the situation as soon as possible, so I stayed after school and went into his office. Then, he said I was annoying and a brat. I wouldn't accept that, so I tried bringing up the topic before class started... but he said that he hates me. He could never love someone like me because I'm the kind of person I hate most. I was about to retort, but then he said that he doesn't care what I have to say because he couldn't care less if I dropped dead. At least then, I wouldn't be annoying him..."

"That's all," Shinobu muttered. His head was bowed low so that no one would noticed the tears that threaten to escaped his eyes for a second time that day.

Misaki felt terrible. "I.. I don't know what to tell you," he mumbled. An urge to comfort the other kept over him, but in all honesty, he didn't know how to comfort others. Was there a special action to be taken? Were there magical words to be spoken? He didn't know, and he always felt guilty for his inexperience.

"Thanks," Shinobu muttered, flustered. He usually wasn't one to confide in others, but he found that he always felt just a tad bit better afterward.

"For what," Misaki asked, surprised. He certainly wasn't of any help. Why would the other man be even slightly thankful?

" For the talk! It helped!" Shinobu had his head turned away so that no one could see his red, tear-stained face.

"Oh, you're welcome! Anytime you want to!" The tips of Misaki's mouth completed an awkward lop-sided smirk. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it had been a good idea to talk to Shinobu after all.

* * *

As Misaki came home he noticed another foreign car beside Takahiro's in the driveway. Immediately, panic rushed into his mind. _Nii-san! _With caution, he crept up to the house, silently opening the front door. Once he was inside, he grabbed the baseball bet lying by the entrance to arm himself.

Faint laughter could be heard from the kitchen. Shouldn't he be hearing pleas for mercy? Why was his brother chuckling? "Nii-san, are you all right," the boy asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Misaki! I'm okay. Please, why don't you put that down," Takahiro motioned nervously. He should have warned the boy that he was bringing someone home that evening. He knew that his younger brother would have automatically come to the conclusion that he was in trouble. Clearing his head, Takahiro switched subjects. "I have someone I want you to meet. This is Manami, my girlfriend."

Taking a bow to the woman, he apologized for the scene he had caused. "Nice to meet you, Manami-san."

"Likewise, Misaki-kun. I hear your quite the young cook." She gave him a gentle smile that a nurturing mother would give to her children. All of the women he met seemed to be filled with a loving aura.

"Hai. (2) I am. Is there something you would prefer for me to cook? I'd be glad to make it for you," he replied.

"I'm sure whatever you make will be wonderful."

* * *

After dinner was finished, Takahiro escorted out the woman, making sure that she had left carefully. "Nii-san? Do you mind if I go to the park?"

"Just be home by midnight. And be safe," Takahiro replied, patting Misaki's head. Mentally, he knew he would have to try to stay awake until Misaki came back home. Ever since his brother was tramuazied, he himself had trouble trusting most people.

* * *

The path of streetlights was light of as he walked of the new moon. The quiet rustling of falling autuum leaves added to the haunting setting around him. How he hoped that everything would be calm that night, yet his heart couldn't stop racing. His thoughts insisted that someone else was creating the crunching sound as Misaki stepped on a new patch of leaves and that the chilling breeze that brushed his neck was someone else's breathe. Though when he had arrived at his destination, his heartbeat slowed some. The constant, quiet sprinkling of the fountain there sent a peace over him with its sense of familiarity.

Sitting down on his favorite bench underneath of the old Sakura tree, Misaki gazed upwards to the sky, letting his mind wander. Even without the apparent moon, the sky still appeared as breath taking. It seemed as if someone had taken his or her favorite sheet and poked dozens upon dozens of tiny holes into it, only to shine a light through it. The lighted spects, suffocated by the surrounding darkness, yet powerful enough to deliver such a scene full of wonder. Altogether, it was definitely a beautiful night.

_It's only the second day as a sophomore and I've already made four friends. Plus, I actually had a decent conversation with a person whose is a complete stranger to me. To top it all off, Nii-san is now dating Manami-san. _It seemed that the world was spinning too fast in the past couple of days. Maybe more will come in the following days. Then where will he be? Attracting everyone's attention? Saving another kid from being beaten up? Expelled again and transfer to another school?

He hoped not. It wasn't that he didn't mind helping others. It was just things were going well right now, and if it's going to continue then everything will have a move at a bit of a slow pace. Though, it wasn't like Misaki could control the universe. He could barely control his grades. It wasn't the time for distractions, but it seemed the powers-that-be refused to listen.

From behind him Misaki could hear the crunching of leaves. "Who's there," Misaki immediately shouted, darting out of his seat, prepared to attack.

"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Just sit down," the cool voice replied. From out of the shadows, a man with silver hair sat down on the bench where the boy had sat only a moment ago. Glancing up at Misaki, the stranger repeated, "I'm not going to hurt you, so just sit down already."

"Hai. (2)" It was the only thing he could say. The strong violet eyes had such a string hold on him, he couldn't manage anything else past his lips. Hand still attached to the weapon, Misaki wearily sat down on the bench again, taking care to keep his distance from the foreign man.

"You look familiar." Maybe this was the kid that everyone was making such a big deal out of at his school. Ever since there was a new goth kid in the school, all of the other kids seemed to get more frightened that they might actually strike at them one day. Though, he knew it was preposterous. After all, they were normal human beings like the rest of them.

"Nani? (3)" This man just screamed stalker inside of his thoughts. Where could the stranger possibly know him from? He most certainly did not know this man! Clumsily, Misaki stumbled off of the bench again, and hesitantly started to back away. His knuckles were turning white due to his tight grasp on the bat.

"I'm sorry. That must've sounded strange. Though, you do seem familiar. Do you go to the private high school near the bus station?" The teen patted the bench, indicating for Misaki to join him.

Was this guy serious? Here, he was in the middle of the park, at night! Some stranger shows up and expects to have a normal conversation with him? This guy's a friggin' loon! "Y'know I think I should be heading home. It's really late," Misaki mumbled, retreating a bit further.

"I'm sorry that I startled you, but please don't make me out to be a bad person. I'm usually the only one here, so I was simply wondering who you were," the stranger explained calmly. He often came here to escape his own family. He hated them terribly. This seemed to one of the few places he could settle down at.

"Eh? Usually when I'm here, I'm the only person present! How is it then that I can believe your story?" This person had to be lying between his teeth. There was no possible way that every time he came he missed sight of this stranger.

"How can I believe what you're saying?" The glared eyes shook his being. After minutes of nature's silence, he patted the bench hard, urging Misaki to take a seat.

The man did have a point. He sighed and reluctantly sat back down. "Who are you anyway?"

"Why don't you tell me your name first?"

Jeez, this guy irked him. "Arg! Y'know what? I give up! Don't follow me home! Stay away from me!" God, this guy pisses him off. Plus, he did have to be rushing home. It was late; his watch indicated that it was going on midnight.

* * *

"Oi! Oi! Please! Stop!" Misaki could hear someone running toward him and calling him from behind; this only caused him to move faster. A hand on his shoulder stopped him dead. Involuntarily, he swung his bat at the stranger. "What the hell is your problem," Misaki shouted as he turned around. He should have known it was the silver-haired teenager. He had met moments earlier.

"I just wanted to tell to you: ... When you left the park... there was someone... that had been hiding... behind a tree... but… he left as soon as you did. And when you turned, he took the same route, making sure to keep inside of the darkness of the opposite side," the man explained as he caught his breathe. Misaki was actually faster than he looked. It was surprising that the teen had been able to catch him.

"What?! Then, you're not safe either. Come with me! You can stay at my house for tonight. I'll make sure we get home safe." He didn't want to leave out alone where a pervert of some kind could reach him, but he also really didn't want to touch the man either. After much hesitation, Misaki's shaky grabbed a hold of the others wrist and yanked him to his side. "Y-you should call your parents so that they are sure they know where you are."

"Tch! They don't care. They don't need to know. And you don't need to act like you're going to throw up when you hold my hand. Just let go, I can walk by myself you know." This kid seemed to be from a far off planet.

"N-no! If I let go, I don't know if he'll take you. I don't have eyes in the back of my head! So... just deal with it, okay?" The boy probably hated him at this point. Well, if his stalker didn't murder him, the other teen just might.

"Okay, but you're the one who seems to have a problem with it," the silver-haired boy murmured.

"Just shut up!"

"You're going to wake up the entire community."

"I said shut up!"

The man behind him chuckled. The dark-haired teen was quite fun to tease.

* * *

When they arrived at Misaki's house, the boy had to make an important decision: trusting the other with the bat until he opened the apartment. He could knock, but he didn't want to interrupt Takahiro if he was asleep. If the boy had it, he could easily take him out and break into the house. But it seemed he didn't have much of a choice.

"What's your problem," he asked. The goth had been staring at him with the strangest face, something like a mix of frustration and despair.

"Here. Please, don't do anything," Misaki managed to force out his hand to give his self-defense measure to the other. If this didn't go well, if he was still alive, he might just shut down for good. The world was already dark and cruel enough.

"Uh, okay." _What's his problem? Maybe I had been wrong about goth kids being just like the rest of us. No, now I'm just being stereotypical._

Even with his whole body shaking, he managed to fish out the keys and open the door. "Here, I'll take that back now, please," Misaki barely had any voice left he felt so drained from worry.

"Yeah. Here." He gave a quizzical look at Misaki as he walked inside.

"Misaki! You're back! I was getting worried," Takahiro called as he came to the entrance. Yet when he noticed the other boy he stopped dead in his tracks. _Misaki met someone! Misaki has a friend! Wait... he met him at night! I didn't know Misaki would still be as dense! I thought that experience had taught him well! _"Nice to meet you," he managed to squeeze out.

Taking a bow, the silver-haired boy said, "The pleasure's all mine."

_He has manners! It's an angel! Thank you, god! _Takahiro nearly assaulted the boy as he threw himself at him for a huge hug.

"Nii-san, stop it. He doesn't want your hug." His brother always embarrassed him like this. Now he was certain the stranger would be out to get him.

"Just because you don't like to be touch doesn't mean other people don't like it either," Takahiro retorted.

"No, it's all right. Really. Honestly... I've never really had a hug before," the boy said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Hmmf. Anyway, he said that he said he saw someone following me, so I insisted that he came home with us. Is it okay if he spends the night, Nii-san?"

"Of course!" A smile spread across his lips. That was his Misaki, always thinking about other people.

"You can sleep on my bed tonight I'll take the couch."

"It's all right, you don't need to do that."

"But I want to," Misaki smiled, closing his bedroom door to change into pajamas. After grabbing a spare blanket and pillow from his closet, he went out into the living room. "Goodnight. I hope you sleep well."

He just nodded. Usually people only treat him like this because they knew who he was. He was one of the smartest and most good-looking guys throughout his school, so people constantly tried to get on his good side. Guys wanted to use him for their personal gain, and the girls annoyed him while they were trying to persuade him that she was the most perfect girlfriend. It tired him.

Though this kid didn't know who he was, and he thought that he had acted rather rudely, like always, but the boy still put him first. Something got to him that night as he slept in the stranger's bed. He would like to know the owners a bit better.

* * *

1- Ohayou-Good Morning.

2- Hai-Yes.

3- Nani?- What?

Since Misaki is more outspoken that usual in this story, I had to make Usagi-san a little more outgoing. Anyway, I need ideas. How should Akihiko get his nickname, Usagi-san? Maybe a silver bunny in the moonlight... or... mispronunciation of the name Usami-san. *shrugs* Any more creative ones?

Also, I didn't plan on introducing ... you know who until the next chapter. His name is introduced in the next chapter, though I'm sure all of you know who it is.

Also, I'm sorry if it started to suck towards the ending. I was up until midnight writing it. Most of that time was actually spent avoiding it. I had to bribe myself with the ultimate bribe of: If you do _ you get a cookie... In all honesty, I didn't really want a cookie, but I enjoyed it anyway. ^-^

Anyway, as always, Thank you for reading. I really do appreciate it, even though I might not constantly mention it. I hope you guys end up like this story just as much I do.


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